LIBRARY 

UNJVERSITY  OF 
CALIFORNIA 
SANTA    CRUZ 


SANTA     CRUZ 


O 

PL, 


Gift  of 
MARION   R.   WALKER 

in  memory  of  his  grandfather 

THE  HON.  MARION  CANNON 

M.C.  1892-94 


SANTA     CRUZ 


U.S. 


MEMORIAL  ADDRESSES 


LIFE    AND    CHARACTER 


EDWARD  F.  MCDONALD, 

A  REPRESENTATIVE  KROM   NK\V  JKRSEV, 


DKI.IVKKEI)    IN    THK 


HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  AND  IN  THE  SENATE, 


FIFTY-SECOND     CONGRESS. 


PUBLISHED  BY  ORDER  OK  CX)NGRESS. 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT     PRINTING     OFFICE. 
1893. 


Resolved  by  the  House  of  Representatives  (the  Senate  concurring),  That  there 
be  printed  of  the  eulogies  delivered  in  Congress  upon  Hon.  Edward  F. 
McDonald,  late  a  Representative  from  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  8,000 
copies,  of  which  2,000  copies  shall  be  delivered  to  the  Senators  and  Repre- 
sentatives of  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  and  of  those  remaining  2,000  copies 
shall  be  for  the  use  of  the  Senate  and  4,000  copies  for  the  use  of  the  House ; 
and  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  be,  and  he  is  hereby,  directed  to  have 
printed  a  portrait  of  said  Edward  F.  McDonald  to  accompany  said  eulogies. 
That  of  the  quota  of  the  House  the  Public  Printer  shall  set  apart  50  copies, 
which  he  shall  have  bound  in  full  morocco  with  gilt  edges,  the  same  to 
be  delivered,  when  completed,  to  the  family  of  the  deceased. 

Agreed  to  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  February  18,  1893. 

Agreed  to  in  the  Senate,  February  24,  1893. 
2 


E 


77/35 


PROCEEDINGS  IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES. 


ANNOUNCEMENT  OF  DEATH. 

DECEMBER  5,  1892. 

Mr.  ENGLISH,  of  New  Jersey:  Mr.  Speaker,  I  rise  to  perform 
the  painful  duty  of  announcing  the  death  of  the  Hon.  EDWARD 
F.  MCDONALD,  lately  a  Eepresentative  in  this  House  from  the 
State  of  New  Jersey. 

I  shall  not  at  the  present  time  say  anything  concerning  the 
merits  of  the  dead,  but  at  an  early  date  I  shall  ask  this  House 
to  fix  a  day  on  which  his  friends  may  express  in  proper  terms 
their  sense  of  his  merit  and  their  grief  at  his  loss. 

I  offer  the  resolution  which  I  send  to  the  Clerk's  desk,  for 
which  I  ask  immediate  consideration. 

The  Clerk  read  as  follows : 

Resolved,  That  this  House  has  heard  with  deep  sorrow  of  the  death  of 
the  Hon.  EDWARD  F.  MCDONALD,  late  a  Representative  from  the  State  of 
New  Jersey. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  the  foregoing  resolution  be  transmitted  to  the 
family  of  the  dead  member. 

Resolved,  That  the  Clerk  be  directed  to  communicate  a  copy  of  these  res- 
olutions to  the  Senate. 

Resolved,  That  as  a  further  mark  of  respect  for  the  memory  of  the  dead 
this  House  do  now  adjourn. 

The  resolutions  were  agreed  to. 

Accordingly  (at  1  o'clock  and  37  minutes  p.  m.)  the  House 
adjourned  until  to-morrow  at  12  o'clock  noon. 


EULOGIES. 


FEBRUARY  11,  1893. 

The  SPEAKER.  The  Clerk  will  read  the  special  order. 
The  Clerk  read  as  follows : 

Resolved,  That  Saturday,  the  llth  of  February,  1893,  beginning  at  3  p.  m., 
be  set  apart  for  the  purpose  of  paying  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  Hon. 
EDWARD  F.  MCDONALD,  lately  a  Representative  from  the  Seventh  district 
of  New  Jersey. 

Mr.  GEISSENHAINER.  I  offer  the  resolutions  which  I  send 
to  the  desk. 
The  Clerk  read  as  follows : 

Resolved,  That  after  the  conclusion  of  the  memorial  proceedings  con- 
cerning the  memory  of  the  late  EDWARD  F.  MCDONALD,  now  begun  as  the 
special  order  of  the  day,  the  House  as  a  further  mark  of  respect  to  the 
memory  of  the  dead  member  will  stand  adjourned. 

Resolved,  That  the  Clerk  communicate  the  foregoing  resolution  to  the 
Senate,  and  that  he  also  transmit  a  copy  to  the  family  of  the  dead. 

5 


Address  of  Mr.  English,  of  New  Jersey,  on  the 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  ENGLISH,  OF  NEW  JERSEY. 

Mr.  SPEAKER  :  An  unexpected  attack  of  illness  has  so  pros- 
trated my  physical  powers  and  disordered  iny  thoughts  that  I 
shall  beg  the  indulgent  patience  of  the  House  while  I  endeavor 
in  a  few  words  to  do  justice  to  the  memory  of  our  late  fellow- 
member  and  my  own  old-time  friend. 

EDWARD  FRANCIS  MCDONALD,  recently  a  member  of  this 
House  from  the  Seventh  Congressional  district  of  New  Jersey, 
died  at  his  residence  in  the  town  of  Harrison  on  the  5th  of 
November  last,  after  a  brief  illness,  in  the  forty-ninth  year  of 
his  age. 

Born  in  Ireland,  he  came  to  this  country  as  a  child,  and 
grew  up  with  us  as  one  of  us,  and,  having  but  faint  memories 
of  his  native  land,  became  so  identified  with  his  adopted 
country,  was  filled  with  the  spirit  of  her  institutions — so  per- 
meated by  a  love  for  her  freedom,  her  Constitution,  and  her 
laws,  so  versed  in  her  history  and  traditions,  that  it  may  be 
said  of  him  without  an  abuse  of  terms  that  he  became  a  typi- 
cal American. 

He  showed  his  love  for  his  adopted  country  by  imperiling 
his  life  in  the  defense  of  the  Union,  at  an  early  age.  When 
barely  17  years  old  he  enlisted  in  the  war  between  the  United 
States  and  the  seceding  States  of  the  South;  served  with 
McClellan  in  all  of  the  battles  of  the  Peninsula  and  elsewhere 
with  such  zeal  and  devotion  to  the  cause  of  duty  that  his 
immature  constitution  gave  away  before  the  fatigue  and  strain 
necessarily  involved.  Shattered  by  exposure  and  toil  he  was 
forced,  sorely  against  his  will,  to  a  hospital,  where  under  care- 
ful treatment  he  gradually  but  partially  recovered  and  was 
granted  an  honorable  discharge  from  the  service. 


Life  and  Character  of  Edward  F.  McDonald.  7 

Keturning  to  his  home,  broken  in  health,  he  endeavored  to 
recover  bit  by  bit  the  break  in  his  shattered  constitution  by 
falling  back  into  the  calm  pursuits  of  private  life.  There  he 
soon  attracted  attention  as  he  grew  towards  manhood,  as  he 
acted  as  a  man  amongst  those  around  him  ;  and  whether  he 
lived  in  the  city  which  I  have  the  honor  to  represent  or  in  the 
adjacent  town  of  Harrison,  to  which  he  had  at  length  removed, 
his  frankness,  his  courage,  his  honesty,  and  his  genial  courtesy 
soon  gained  for  him  the  respect  and  confidence  and  the  admi- 
ration of  all. 

Elected  to  the  legislature  of  his  State,  he  refused  further 
political  distinction,  and  he  set  himself  steadily  to  the  task  of 
maintaining  his  young  and  growing  family.  Then  his  career 
began,  because  his  fellow-citizens,  appreciating  his  work  and 
its  merits,  struck  with  his  manliness  and  worth,  the  direct  and 
commanding  eloquence  of  which  he  was  master,  called  him  into 
its  political  service.  He  was  chosen  at  a  very  critical  period 
of  the  country's  history  to  the  directorship  of  the  board  of 
chosen  freeholders,  and  his  skill  soon  brought  order  out  of  con- 
fusion and  placed  the  monetary  affairs  of  that  municipality 
upon  a  firm  and  sound  basis.  Eeelected,  he  declined  further 
political  distinction  and  went  back  to  maintain  himself  and 
his  by  industry  and  fair  play,  only  retaining  the  treasurership 
of  the  town  of  Harrison,  whose  finances  he  had  managed  suc- 
cessfully and  skillfully  for  a  number  of  years. 

But  a  man  like  MCDONALD  was  not  to  remain  long  without 
position,  and  he  was  called  again  into  the  public  service,  and 
called  in  a  marked  manner. 

There  was  a  peculiar  manliness  about  him,  for  I  knew  him 
well  for  years,  and  I  speak  of  him  as  I  found  him.  There  was 
a  manliness  and  directness  of  purpose  that  won  him  friends  in 
the  social  circle,  as  his  knowledge  of  public  affairs  and  his  well- 
balanced  intellect  gained  him  friends  of  a  more  enduring  kind. 


8  Address  of  Mr.  English,  of  New  Jersey,  on  the 

But  there  was  one  peculiarity  about  MCDONALD  which  it 
were  well  that  other  men  should  imitate.  When  once  he  con- 
ceived that  a  course  was  right,  when  his  judgment  approved 
it,  he  persevered  in  it  regardless  of  obstacles  and  careless  of 
consequences.  Thus  it  was  that  when  Mr.  Cleveland  was  nom- 
inated for  the  Presidency  my  late  colleague  misunderstood 
some  of  his  language  and  so  misconstrued  his  view.  He  was 
at  that  time  on  the  electoral  ticket,  a  compliment  rarely  paid 
to  a  man  of  his  age.  He  promptly  withdrew  his  name;  and  as 
he  could  not  go  over  to  the  Republicans,  with  whose  policy  he 
had  no  sympathy,  he  supported  a  third  candidate. 

This  of  itself  would  have  been  the  death  blow  to  the  political 
aspirations  of  an  ordinary  man  within  a  political  party ;  but  it 
had  no  effect  on  the  fortunes  of  MCDONALD.  His  Democratic 
fellow-citizens,  while  they  deplored  his  attitude,  had  such  con- 
fidence in  his  righteousness  and  intent  that  when  that  episode 
was  over  they  showered  on  him  their  honors. 

He  was  elected  to  the  State  senate  and  to  a  seat  in  this  House 
of  Representatives,  to  which  he  would  have  been  doubtless 
reelected  had  not  death  interposed. 

Of  the  peculiar  characteristics  of  the  man  I  have  spoken, 
but  feebly,  because  I  am  in  that  condition  that  it  is  with  dif- 
ficulty that  I  stand  on  my  feet — the  peculiar  characteristics 
of  the  man  were  well  known  to  me.  We  lived  in  adjacent 
counties,  we  were  joined  together  for  many  years  in  political 
action,  and  stood  together  in  the  fight  for  the  emancipation 
and  self-government  of  a  race  to  which  we  both  proudly  trace 
our  descent,  and  there  grew  up  between  us  a  firm  though  not 
demonstrative  friendship,  and  to  me  his  loss  is  severe. 

I  remember,  Mr.  Speaker,  as  though  it  were  but  yesterday, 
standing  at  this  desk,  then  his,  now  mine,  a  day  or  two  after 
ceremonies  of  this  kind  has  been  performed  in  the  House,  and 
we  had  both  remarked  upon  the  unusual  length  of  an  address 


Life  and  Character  of  Edward  F.  McDonald.  9 

of  eulogy,  a  very  good  one  in  its  way,  but  extraordinarily  long, 
that  had  been  delivered.  I  recollect  saying  to  him,  standing 
just  here  where  I  now  stand,  in  that  light  way  with  which  men 
in  health  ordinarily  speak  of  death:  "MAC.,  in  the  course  of 
nature,  at  my  advanced  age,  it  is  possible — even  probable — 
that  I  shall  die  before  the  expiration  of  this  Congress.  In 
that  case,  if  you  see  fit  to  say  anything  about  me,  I  hope  you 
will  not  make  it  of  an  unconscionable  length." 

Putting  his  hand  on  my  shoulder,  with  that  bluff  cordiality 
and  caressing  motion  which  was  his  way,  he  said:  "If  I  have 
occasion  to  do  that,  I  shall  make  it  brief:  but,  my  dear  old 
friend,  it  will  be  strong." 

Light  and  careless  words !  How  little  we  know  of  the  future. 
I  have  to  do  to-day  for  him  that  which  he  was  to  have  done 
for  me.  1  am  here,  but  he  is  gone.  I  stand  peering  into  the 
dim  darkness  beyond  by  the  margin  of  that  deep  river  which 
he  has  crossed.  The  old  and  gnarled  oak  that  has  braved  the 
blasts  of  seventy-three  winters  still  stands  erect,  while  the 
stately  maple  in  the  pride  of  its  mid  age,  that  gave  such  prom- 
ise of  continued  leafage  and  vigorous  growth,  lies  prone  upon 
the  earth,  felled  by  the  ax  of  the  woodman  Death.  [Applause.] 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  GEISSENHAINER;  OF  NEW  JERSEY. 

Mr.  SPEAKER  :  When  the  gavel  fell  upon  the  last  hour  of  the 
first  session  of  the  Fifty- second  Congress,  it  came,  as  all  other 
earthly  things,  with  no  premonition  of  the  future. 

Happy  it  is  that  the  veil  is  drawn  upon  coming  events.  If 
the  storms  and  disappointments  of  life  could  be  foreseen  before 
entering  upon  the  voyage,  and  the  choice  were  permitted,  few 
would  have  the  courage  to  begin  the  journey. 

Well  for  ourselves  and  for  the  world  that  the  hardships  and 


10    Address  of  Mr.  Geissenhainer,  of  New  Jersey,  on  the 

gloom  are  hidden.  Each  one  in  life  must  do  his  part,  and  who 
can  deny  that  the  part,  however  humble  and  small,  is  not  nec- 
essary to  make  the  whole  structure  complete,  and  that  it  may 
not  fill  some  most  important  gap  over  which  an  event  vitally 
essential  for  the  progress  and  well-being  of  his  comrades  is 
destined  to  pass. 

The  builder  of  the  bridge  may  never  cross  upon  it,  and  yet 
there  may  be  thousands  to  whom  the  bridge  will  prove  a  means 
of  hope  and  liberty  and  life. 

It  has  happened  that  with  the  last  finishing  blow  has  come 
the  ending  of  the  one  who  has  delivered  the  same. 

In  every  phase  of  life  are  some  who  must  prepare  the  way 
over  which  future  generations  are  to  successfully  tread.  If  all 
were  inert  no  path  would  be  made,  and  the  world  remain 
unexplored  and  chaotic.  So  with  the  brother  who  claims  our 
mournful  remembrance  this  day.  To  him  there  came  no  pro- 
longed warning,  and  only  a  little  cloud  no  bigger  than  a  man's 
hand  indicated  the  unexpected  storm  which,  coming  out  of  a 
clear  sky,  overwhelmed  him. 

It  was  not  anticipated  by  his  colleagues  that  his  taking  off 
would  be  noted  as  the  first  that  had  occurred  in  his  delegation 
during  a  long  number  of  years ;  in  fact,  memory  fails  to  recall 
the  eternal  departure  of  any  previous  Congressional  represent- 
ative of  his  State  during  his  official  term. 

Our  brother,  upon  the  adjournment  of  his  first  Congressional 
session,  sought  his  home  and  entered  immediately  upon  the 
campaign  with  all  the  energy  of  his  vigorous  nature.  By  day, 
by  night,  he  knew  and  sought  no  rest  when  the  work  he  had 
undertaken  demanded  his  attention. 

Though  the  short  term  of  his  Congressional  life  had  not  given 
him  full  opportunity  to  become  acquainted  with  his  duties, 
yet  he  was  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  requirements  of 
party  service.  Unswervingly  he  yielded  himself  to  his  task  and 


Life  and  Character  of  Edward  F.  McDonald.          11 

made  110  pause  until  nature  called  upon  him  to  forbear.  When 
within  but  a  short  distance  of  the  goal  which  he  had  honestly 
and  conscientiously  striven  to  attain,  the  will  of  Providence 
decreed  that  he  should  fall  by  the  wayside. 

It  is  a  fact  beyond  dispute  that  had  his  strength  been  length- 
ened to  the  limit  of  the  course  he  would  have  most  triumphantly 
grasped  the  palm  he  had  so  fully  merited. 

Three  days  before  the  end  he  was  summoned  to  the  congress 
in  the  spirit  land. 

Brother  MCDONALD  was  a  fond  husband  and  father.  For 
him  there  was  no  greater  pleasure  than  when,  freed  from  his 
Congressional  hours,  he  could  return  to  his  home  and  the  family 
he  so  dearly  loved. 

He  was  of  affectionate,  open-hearted  temperament,  and  when 
he  had  determined  upon  his  course  no  allurements  of  any 
nature,  no  pressure  of  any  kind,  could  swerve  him  from  his 
sense  of  duty. 

By  those  who  knew  him  he  was  well  beloved — here  in  the 
capital  city  the  few,  at  home  the  many.  His  people,  paying 
to  him  the  only  tribute  in  their  gift,  decided  that  he  should 
have  no  successor.  In  this  House  his  vacant  chair  still 
remains  vacant. 

In  the  last  gubernatorial  State  convention  Mr.  MCDONALD 
was  the  choice  of  all  assembled  to  preside  over  its  delibera- 
tions. Here  his  impartial  rulings,  his  genial  good  nature, 
coupled  with  an  earnest  firmness,  held  in  harmonious  control 
a  body  rife  for  factional  struggle. 

EDWARD  FRANCIS  MCDONALD  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1844, 
and  emigrated  to  this  country  in  1850.  IR  September,  1861, 
at  the  age  of  17,  he  enlisted  in  Company  I,  Seventh  Regiment 
New  Jersey  Volunteers,  and  served  under  Gens.  McClellan 
and  Hooker  in  the  Peninsular  campaign  and  Seven  Days  fight. 

Stricken  with  typhoid  fever,  he  returned  home  after  fifteen. 


12         Address  of  Mr,  Bergen,  of  New  Jersey,  on  the 

months  of  gallant  service,  and  was  honorably  discharged  on 
December  30,  1862.  He  afterward  engaged  in  his  trade  of 
machinist  and  toolmaker  and  continued  thereat  until  the  end 
of  1874. 

After  having  served  in  the  New  Jersey  house  of  assembly  he 
devoted  himself  to  the  business  of  real  estate  and  insurance. 

In  1877  he  was  elected  director  at  large  of  the  board  of  choseii 
freeholders  of  Hudson  County  and  served  until  1881.  Mr. 
MCDONALD  was  elected  to  the  State  senate  from  Hudson 
County  in  1889,  and  in  1890  received  the  franchises  of  his  dis- 
trict for  Congress  and  subsequently  a  renoinination. 

And  so  his  record  ends,  where  but  for  the  snapping  of  the 
thread  it  would  have  just  begun. 

Thus  his  mission  was  completed  here  and  Providence  has 
proclaimed  that  the  labors  given  him  to  perform  have  been 
fulfilled. 

On  many  an  old  tombstone  may  be  found  the  inscription, 
"  Pause,  traveler."  We  have  come  to-day  to  pause  reverently 
at  the  bier  of  our  brother  and  to  express  our  sympathy  for  his 
widow,  the  little  ones  so  precious  to  him,  for  the  tender  infant 
upon  whom  his  gaze  never  rested,  and  to  attest  that  death 
alone  does  not  sever  the  silent  tie  of  friendship. 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  BERGEN,  OF  NEW  JERSEY. 

Mr.  SPEAKER:  It  is  with  some  misgivings  I  address  myself 
to  this  occasion.  When  my  colleague  in  Congress  dies  I  agree 
that  it  is  both  my  duty  and  my  privilege  to  say  such  friendly 
words  of  his  life  as  may  occur  to  me,  and  that  differences  in 
political  sentiments  or  aims  do  not  detract  from  the  obligation. 
I  do  not  know  that  MCDONALD  and  myself  thought  the  same 
about  any  one  public  measure.  He  was  a  bitter  partisan  and 


Life  and  Character  of  Edward  F.  McDonald.          13 

carried  his  feelings  in  such  matters  to  the  utmost.  Yet  they 
never  interfered  with  our  personal  friendly  intercourse. 

The  most  anxious  of  his  admirers  therefore  need  have  no  fear 
that  utterances  at  this  time  which  do  him  justice  detract  from 
his  memory.  I  could  not  if  I  would,  and  would  not  if  I  could, 
withdraw  one  mite  of  this  praise  which  to-day  is  his  due.  At 
the  opposite  pole  it  gives  me  pleasure  to  bear  testimony  to  the 
belief  that  he  acted  up  to  his  convictions  always. 

He  was  an  Irish  boy.  Born  in  his  island  home,  he  canie  in 
early  childhood  to  this  country  with  his  parents;  and,  linked 
to  the  destinies  of  this  laud,  he  early  learned  the  privileges  of 
her  citizenship  and  its  obligations.  Ireland  was  his  mother,  but 
America  his  foster  parent.  He  knew  more  by  actual  experi- 
ence of  America  than  Ireland.  He  read  more  of  Ireland  than 
America. 

Like  him  -who  stops  in  bated  breath 
Suspicion  e'en  to  guard  against, 

he  felt  that  his  residence  and  interests  here  might  sometime 
throw  a  veil  between  him  and  his  native  country.  He  was  stu- 
diQus,  therefore,  of  her  history,  and  would  have  her  memory 
green.  No  descendant  of  a  patriot  who  fought  in  her  battle  of 
Beiiburb  for  Irish  independence  and  lands  and  home  had  more 
delight  in  her  antiquities,  her  heraldry,  and  her  religion.  Her 
stories  made  his  hot  blood  hotter.  Her  struggles  made  him 
pant  for  her  release.  Her  past  was  the  record  of  his  forefath- 
ers, and  her  future  will  be  that  of  his  kinsfolk.  America 
should  hold  his  descendants,  but  America  united  and  free 
meant  emancipation  to  Ireland. 

When  the  rebellion  broke  out  he  was  a  boy  of  seventeen. 
But  the  spirit  of  enterprise  and  desire  for  thrift  and  growth 
which  had  brought  his  father  from  their  foreign  home  to  this 
distant  land  were  inherited  by  the  son,  and  soon  made  him  a 
soldier,  and  placed  him  in  the  ranks  of  marching  forces.  He 


14         Address  of  Mr.  Bergen,  of  New  Jersey,  on  the 

joined  company  I  of  the  Seventh  Regiment  of  New  Jersey  Vol- 
unteers, and  fought  with  it  through  its  bloody  conflicts — 
amongst  others  in  the  Peninsular  campaign  and  the  Seven 
Days'  fight.  Knowing  no  fear,  he  has  a  record  for  bravery 
and  valor.  Others  fell  beside  him,  but  he  moved  on  with  the 
advancing  column  always. 

Sickness  and  a  broken  constitution  then  take  him  out  of  the 
army,  and  he  returns  to  the  avocations  of  peace.  He  learns  a 
trade,  pursues  it  through  its  drudgery  till  he  sees  a  bright 
sky  beyond  j  accumulates  property,  conies  to  the  front,  rises, 
gains  position,  and  becomes  prominent.  Political  aspirations 
seize  upon  him,  and  he  holds  the  minor  offices  of  his  locality 
and  represents  his  district  and  county  in  the  State  assembly 
and  State  senate.  Later,  mastering  opposition,  he  thwarts 
jealous  intrigue  and  hate  and  faction,  cements  friendships, 
secures  combinations,  and  comes  to  Congress  the  accepted 
Representative  of  a  most  intelligent  constituency. 

He  is  in  his  first  term,  and  has  served  but  one  session  in  this 
Chamber,  has  been  nominated  for  a  second  term,  and  election  is 
three  days  off.  He  is  in  the  height  of  his  campaign,  buoyant 
and  hopeful,  not  alone  for  himself,  but  also  for  his  party.  All 
things  seem  bright  before  him.  It  is  at  this  point  we  are  bid 
to  pause.  The  halcyon  has  been;  the  end  is  now.  November 
5,  suddenly,  almost  without  warning,  he  is  stricken  down  and 
dies. 

The  mellow  light  of  the  grave  is  never  welcome.  It  steals  in 
upon  us  sometimes  unawares  and  touches  him  who  is  ruddiest, 
most  vigorous,  most  elastic  in  his  step,  most  pressing  in  his 
business,  most  pressed,  and  in  an  instant  all  is  over. 

So  it  was  with  MCDONALD.  He  was  only  48.  He  had  no 
thought  of  death.  He  thought  the  future  was  before  him 
and  the  past  only  an  earnest  of  what  that  should  be.  He 
was  not  a  professional  man  in  the  sense  that  he  had  studied 


Life  and  Character  of  Edward  F.  McDonald.          1 5 

law  or  medicine  or  divinity,  but  he  had  studied  the  science 
of  politics  for  over  twenty  years,  and  practiced  it,  and  was  an 
adept  in  its  ways  and  skilled  in  its  methods.  He  knew  how 
to  argue  it  and  how  to  use  it. 

The  fountains  from  which  he  had  drunk  were  Jefferson  and 
Jackson  and  Calhoun  and  Douglas.  He  was  a  Democrat 
pure  and  simple  and  in  sympathy  with  all  the  doings  of  his 
party  and  of  this  House,  except  its  inaction.  Eesults  were 
to  his  mind  necessary  to  stewardship,  and  they  were  the  only 
evidence  of  Eepublicauism  I  ever  saw  in  his  nature.  He  was 
probably  born  a  Republican,  but  reared  a  Democrat.  If  he 
made  mistakes  they  were  of  the  head  and  not  of  the  heart. 
He  was  loyal  to  his  adopted  country  and  loved  her.  The 
fire  of  his  soul  enthused  for  her  development  and  growth. 
This  he  showed  through  his  whole  life,  but  latest  in  his 
impassioned  speeches  on  the  stump.  It  is  too  much  to 
believe,  though  radically  differing  from  him,  that  he  was  not 
persuaded  of  the  soundness  of  his  statements. 

I  do  not  know  that  he  reached  the  ultimate  goal  of  his 
ambition;  probably  not.  Few  or  none  do  so  young  and  when 
urging  on.  He  probably  was  desirous  of  impressing  himself 
upon  this  House.  Politics  from  his  standpoint  wrought  revo- 
lution and  exacted  gain. 

In  its  extremities  he  lived  and  hoped  to  live.  It  would  give 
no  peace  to  his  ashes  to  represent  otherwise.  He  saw  hopeful 
changes  in  law  and  government  which  he  thought  would  accrue 
to  the  advantage  of  his  party.  He  was  too  anxious  to  secure 
them  speedily,  and,  straining  himself  beyond  measure,  prema- 
turely died.  At  least  so  it  seems,  for  never  before  did  so  much 
of  promise  open  up  to  him.  Death  disappointed  him  and  his 
friends. 

This  is  no  time  to  draw  lessons  of  religious  faiths  and  hopes. 
The  doctrines  of  the  recluse,  of  the  fanatic,  and  the  skeptic 


16        Address  of  Mr.  Cadmus,  of  New  Jersey,  on  the 

obtain  alike  on  this  floor.  The  best  testimony  we  can  here 
bear  our  brother  is  that  he  was  neither  of  these.  Born  in  a 
faith,  lie  lived  it,  and  dying  cherished  that  hope  it  assured  to 
him. 

Time  takes  them  home  that  we  love,  fair  names  and  famous, 
To  the  soft  long  sleep,  to  the  broad  sweet  bosom  of  death ; 

But  the  flower  of  their  sonls  he  shall  take  not  away  to  shame  us, 
Nor  the  lips  lack  song  forever  that  now  lack  breath. 

For  with  us  shall  the  music  and  perfume  that  die  not  dwell, 

Though  the  dead  to  our  dead  bid  welcome,  and  we  farewell. 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  CADMUS,  OF  NEW  JERSEY. 

Mr.  SPEAKER:  When  my  late  beloved  colleague,  EDWARD  F. 
MCDONALD,  was  called  from  this  sphere  of  usefulness  I  believe 
that  this  House  lost  a  member  who,  had  he  lived  but  a  few 
years  more,  would  have  been  one  of  its  most  useful  and  con- 
spicuous members,  as  well  as  being  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished that  the  State  of  New  Jersey  has  ever  sent  to  Congress. 

Cut  down  in  the  very  prime  of  his  most  vigorous  manhood, 
and  in  the  thick  of  a  political  fight,  the  result  of  which  would 
have  inevitably  returned  him  to  this  House  for  another  term, 
his  death  is  particularly  sad  and  pathetic. 

The  people  of  our  whole  State,  Mr.  Speaker,  had  been  watch- 
ing with  interest  the  Congressional  career  of  Mr.  MCDONALD, 
for  they  well  knew  that  when  the  opportunity  presented  itself 
he  would  have  achieved  the  same  distinction  here  that  he 
effected  in  every  other  branch  of  life  through  which  he  passed. 

His  great  ability  was  unquestioned  by  even  those  who  were 
his  political  opponents.  Everybody  regarded  him  as  a  man 
possessed  of  a  broad  and  comprehensive  scope  of  thought. 
Besides,  he  was  possessed  of  an  eloquent  tongue  and  those 
graces  of  manner  for  which  Irishmen  are  famed.  He  was  also 


Life  and  Character  of  Edward  F.  McDonald,          17 

a  student,  and  every  year  saw  great  improvement  in  bis 
equipment  for  public  service. 

The  people  of  Xew  Jersey  naturally  regarded  such  a  man 
with  pride;  they  felt  that  in  this  House  he  would  be  able  to 
bring  new  honor  to  our  State.  Anything  like  mediocrity  was 
foreign  to  his  nature,  and  with  his  progressive  spirit  and 
remarkable  force  of  character  I  venture  to  say  that  his  fellow- 
citizens  would  not  have  been  disappointed  in  him  had  it  been 
God's  will  to  prolong  his  life. 

Like  all  men  possessing  true  merit,  Mr.  MCDONALD  was  mod- 
est about  his  achievements.  He  was  diffident  about  forcing 
himself  into  a  position  which  he  was  not  thoroughly  satisfied 
that  he  had  a  right  to  assume.  For  this  reason  he  refused  all 
opportunities  for  the  display  of  his  abilities  during  the  time 
that  he  served  in  Congress. 

Time  and  again  have  I  known  members  who  were  familiar 
with  his  gifts  of  mind  to  urge  him  to  take  part  in  the  debates 
of  this  House,  but  he  always  declined,  believing  that  a  mem- 
ber beginning  his  first  term  should  wait  until  he  had  first 
familiarized  himself  with  the  routine  of  the  House.  He  knew 
that  had  he  lived  liis  reelection  was  assured,  and  he  believed 
that  during  his  second  term  was  the  time  for  him  to  partici- 
pate in  the  proceedings  in  a  manner  to  which  his  abilities 
entitled  him.  Therefore  he  was  content  to  wait. 

I  can  not  recall  a  more  striking  illustration  of  the  possibili- 
ties of  this  country  than  that  which  the  life  of  EDWARD  F. 
MCDONALD  affords.  He  clearly  demonstrated  what  ability, 
honesty,  and  integrity  of  purpose  could  be  accomplished  by  one 
with  the  most  humble  of  origins.  Born  in  Ireland  on  Septem- 
ber 1, 1844,  he  came  to  this  country  when  only  6  years  of  age, 
and  with  his  parents  took  up  a  residence  in  Newark,  N.  J 
After  attending  the  public  schools  he  began  to  learn  the  trade 
of  a  mechanic,  and'  continued  at  that  until  he  was  about  20 
H.  Mis.  101 2 


18        Address  of  Mr.  Cadmus,  of  New  Jersey,  on  the 

years  of  age.  At  the  first  call  for  troops  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany I,  Seventh  New  Jersey  Volunteers. 

Even  at  this  early  age  he  showed  that  he  was  a  natural 
commander  of  men,  and  after  a  brief  period  of  service  he  was 
made  sergeant  of  his  company.  On  account  of  ill  health  he 
was  compelled  for  a  time  to  quit  the  service  on  the  field  and 
go  to  a  hospital,  where  he  was  discharged  in  December,  1862. 
He  then  rejoined  his  company  and  served  under  McClellan 
and  Hooker  in  the  Peninsular  campaign  and  during  the  Seven 
Days'  fight. 

During  this  memorable  struggle  young  MCDONALD  dis- 
played great  feats  of  valor.  He  was  wounded  in  one  of  the 
last  engagements  in  which  he  took  part.  At  the  close  of  the 
war  he  returned  to  his  home  and  continued  at  the  trade  of  a 
machinist  until  the  early  seventies ;  after  this  he  engaged  in 
the  real-estate  business,  which  he  continued  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death.  In  1874  he  was  elected  from  Hudson  County,  N.  J., 
as  a  member  of  the  State  legislature.  After  that  he  was 
elected  director  at  large  of  the  freeholders  of  his  county  and 
was  twice  reflected.  He  was  next  elected  to  the  State  senate 
in  November,  1889,  and  in  1890  was  elected  to  represent  his 
district  in  this  body,  and  had  he  lived  would  have  been 
reflected  in  less  than  a  week  from  the  time  of  his  death. 

As  will  be  observed  from  what  I  have  stated,  Mr.  MCDON- 
ALD'S career  was  steadily  and  gradually  progressive,  and  his 
development  of  mind  was  in  keeping  with  his  advance  in  life. 
Considering  that  he  was  still  a  young  man  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  it  is  natural  to  suppose  that  had  he  lived  that  none  of 
the  prizes  in  public  life  to  which  a  foreign-born  citizen  is 
entitled  would  have  been  beyond  his  grasp.  Mr.  MCDONALD 
possessed  that  fertility  of  mind  for  which  talented  Irishmen 
are  characterized,  and  his  learning  was  wide-ranged.  There 
was  no  company  in  which  he  might  be  placed  that  he  could 
not  make  himself  an  attraction. 


Life  and  Character  of  Edward  F.  McDonald.          19 

A  person  not  knowing  who  Mr.  MCDONALD  was,  and  who 
had  heard  him  converse  with  persons  representing  various 
callings,  might  have  mistaken  him  for  a  physician,  a  philoso- 
pher, a  literary  man,  or  one  who  had  devoted  his  life  to  the 
drama  or  to  art. 

His  nature  was  full  of  poetry,  and  his  manner  was  particu- 
larly magnetic.  He  was  full  of  the  milk  of  human  kindness, 
and  was  never  so  happy  as  when  making  others  happy. 

Such  in  brief,  Mr.  Speaker,  was  EDWARD  F.  MCDONALD, 
and  in  paying  my  last  tribute  to  his  memory  I  sincerely  regret 
that  I  find  my  words  inadequate  to  paint  him  as  he  deserves 
to  be  portrayed. 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  CAMPBELL,  OF  NEW  YORK. 

Mr.  SPEAKER  :  It  is  a  truthful  saying  and  founded  on  fact, 
that  "  amidst  life  we  are  in  death." 

A  few  months  ago  EDWARD  F.  MCDONALD  left  this  city  for 
his  home  in  Harrison,  N.  J.,  apparently  in  full  vigor — in  per- 
fect health.  To- day  he  is  no  more.  He  was  stricken  with  that 
dread  disease,  pneumonia,  during  the  early  days  of  the  late 
campaign  and  succumbed  to  that  grim  monster,  Death,  but  a 
few  days  before  the  recent  election. 

Born  in  Ireland  in  1844,  he  came  in  the  days  of  his  infancy 
to  this  country  with  his  parents  and  acquired  a  good  education 
in  our  public  schools. 

When  the  nation  called  her  sons  to  duty,  EDWARD  F.  MC- 
DONALD was  among  the  first  to  respond,  and  enlisted  as  a  pri- 
vate in  the  Seventh  New  Jersey  Volunteers,  and  as  a  soldier 
endeared  himself  to  his  officers  and  comrades  on  the  battlefield 
and  around  the  camp  fire  by  his  modest  demeanor  and  his 
bravery. 


20        Address  of  Mr.  Campbell,  of  New  York,  on  the 

He  had  held  many  positions  of  honor  and  trust  from  the 
people  of  his  adopted  State,  and  filled  each  and  all  with  credit 
to  himself,  and  reflected  honor  upon  his  people,  who  in  return 
sent  him  to  represent  them  in  the  Fifty-second  Congress.  He 
was  a  candidate  for  reelection  when  death  claimed  him. 

As  a  member  of  this  House  he  was  energetic,  painstaking,  . 
and  capable,  and  faithfully  discharged  his  duties. 

It  was  my  great  pleasure  to  form  his  acquaintance  during 
the  Presidential  campaign  of  1880,  which  acquaintance  ripened 
into  a  warm  and  sincere  friendship  lasting  to  the  end.  It  is 
therefore,  Mr.  Speaker,  with  feelings  of  deep  emotion  that  I 
bear  witness  to  the  many  splendid  traits  in  his  character — 
warm,  generous,  impulsive,  and  sincere — sacrificing  himself 
at  all  times  for  his  convictions.  He  was  brave,  determined, 
and  courageous  ;  and  stood  ever  ready  to  succor  the  oppressed, 
or  right  a  wrong.  I  can  see  him  now,  with  head  erect,  splendid 
physique,  flashing  eyes  blazing  with  that  latent  fire  within  him, 
lashing  with  eloquent  tongue  those  who  were  trying  to  defy 
the  will  of  the  people  or  oppress  the  weak. 

As  an  extempore  speaker  on  the  platforms  before  the  people 
he  had  few  equals  amongst  the  many  distinguished  speakers 
of  his  State. 

Being  human,  he  had  his  faults,  but  none  can  insinuate 
that  hypocrisy  could  find  a  lodgment  in  his  noble  character. 
Indeed,  Mr.  Speaker,  I  can  say  of  him  without  an  attempt 
at  eulogy,  he  was  without  fear  and  above  reproach. 

In  conclusion  allow  me  to  say  that  around  the  hearthstone 
and  fireside,  and  at  the  camp  fires  where  his  old  comrades  are 
wont  to  gather,  and  in  political  councils  the  name  of  EDWARD 
F.  MCDONALD  will  stand  as  prominently  as  any  of  them,  and 
the  example  shown  by  him  will  be  used  as  an  illustration  to 
guide  the  youthful  aspirants  to  honor  and  fame. 


Life  and  Character  of  Edward  F.  McDonald.          21 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  NEWBERRY,  OF  ILLINOIS. 

Mr.  SPEAKER  :  The  life  and  services  of  our  deceased  mem- 
ber, EDWAKD  F.  MCDONALD,  of  New  Jersey,  better  represent 
the  peculiar  civilization  of  this  country  and  better  illustrate 
its  peculiar  advantages  to  the  citizen  than  perhaps  any  event 
that  has  transpired  in  similar  cases  on  this  floor  in  many 
years.  Here  is  an  illustration  of  the  fulfillment  of  the  hopes 
and  ambitions  of  a  workingman  born  and  reared  among  the 
working  people,  eating  from  the  table  set  by  honest  toil,  of 
food  and  raiment  earned  by  the  sweat  of  the  brow  and  the  ful- 
fillment of  the  highest  ambitions  of  a  young,  striving,  and 
energetic  American  boy. 

My  acquaintance  with  Mr.  MCDONALD  was  not  of  long 
standing,  but  began  with  my  services  with  him  upon  the 
Committee  on  Military  Affairs,  of  which  he  was  a  useful  mem- 
ber. His  labors  on  that  committee  involved  the  exercise  of 
great  discretion  and  the  smothering  of  sympathies  the  out- 
growth of  his  own  military  service,  but  he  demonstrated  his 
capacity  to  look  above  and  beyond  the  mere  feelings  and  acted 
from  a  higher  standard  than  that  of  human  sympathy 
alone.  In  his  efforts  to  do  exact  justice  as  between  his  Gov- 
ernment and  the  man,  he  drew  a  line  and  occupied  it  that 
few  have  the  capacity  to  maintain,  and  I  think  I  may  say  for 
his  associates  on  that  committee  that  his  decisions  were 
never  influenced  by  his  acquaintance  with  the  man  or  the 
circumstances  surrounding  the  case  except  where  even  the 
strictest  martinet  might  not  have  fully  agreed  with  him. 

During  his  service  on  that  committee  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
visiting  with  him  the  battlefield  of  Gettysburg  in  a  semiofficial 
capacity.  Although  but  a  boy  during  his  service  in  the 


22          Address  of  Mr.  Newberry,  of  Illinois,  on  the 

army,  it  was  apparent  that  his  mind  had  run  upon  military 
affairs  and  that  he  had  grown  in  understanding  and  compre- 
hension of  the  great  causes  as  well  as  the  magnificent  results 
of  that  contest,  and  during  several  days'  close  communication 
with  him  in  riding  and  walking  over  that  great  field  he 
honored  me  with  his  confidence  and  recited  to  me  much  of  his 
early  history. 

As  a  mechanic  in  his  early  life  he  had  developed  a  physique 
almost  perfect,  and  it  was  apparent  that  in  his  leisure  hours 
he  had  not  failed  to  cultivate  his  brain  and  store  up  every- 
thing within  his  reach  of  the  history  and  purpose  of  the 
Government  under  which  he  lived.  His  conversation  was 
broad  and  comprehensive.  His  philosophy  would  have  done 
honor  to  our  greatest  scholars,  and  his  understanding  of  the 
needs  and  necessities  of  the  common  people  was  equal  to  that 
of  any  man  with  whom  I  had  conversed. 

Unlike  many  men  of  his  class  he  had  cultivated  no  ani- 
mosity against  what  is  so  improperly  termed  in  this  country 
the  aristocratic  or  capitalistic  class.  He  credited  many  of  the 
wrongs  which  have  crept  into  society,  and  which  he  fully 
appreciated,  as  the  result  of  a  generous  but  misguided  desire 
to  do  right,  and  hoped  with  the  most  sincere  wish  that  all 
men,  whether  laborers,  mechanics,  scholars,  statesmen,  or 
capitalists,  would  find  a  common  level  for  the  common  good 
in  the  progress  and  growth  and  establishment  of  a  great  and 
beneficent  government  on  this  western  hemisphere. 

Mr.McDoNALD  appreciated  and  was  proud  of  his  own  attain- 
ments, fully  conscious  of  all  he  lacked.  He  credited  our  form 
of  government  with  all  that  he  had  attained,  and  made  such 
comparisons  between  the  class  from  which  he  had  sprung  with 
those  of  a  like  class  in  the  monarchial  countries  of  Europe 
that  would  satisfy  all  the  discontented  element  of  that  country 
that  whatever  might  be  their  reasons  for  discontent  here, 


Life  and  Character  of  Edward  F.  McDonald.          23 

greater  opportunities  were  yet  offered  to  all  the  citizens  of  this 
Eepublic  than  could  exist  under  any  other  circumstances  else- 
where. 

Mr.  MCDONALD  had  a  vivid  recollection  of  his  birthplace 
and  of  his  early  landing  in  America,  and  while  never  forgetting 
the  home  of  his  childhood,  was  thoroughly  imbued  with  Amer- 
icanism, crediting  America  with  everything  that  was  conducive 
to  the '  most  advanced  ideas  of  modern  progression  or  the 
development  of  the  greatest  and  best  manhood.  His  love 
for  his  adopted  State  of  New  Jersey,  of  his  home  and.  wife 
and  children,  and  his  anxiety  to  be  with  them  and  aid  in  the 
development  of  the  young  minds  of  his  growing  family  was  a 
beautiful  characteristic  of  his  nature. 

He  felt  a  pride  in  his  early  associations  as  well  as  his  later, 
and  made  every  effort  to  so  adjust  his  mind  and  acts  as  to 
faithfully  represent  both. 

He  entered  politics  more  as  a  means  of  his  own  development 
and  for  the  purpose  of  benefiting  his  class  than  for  any  per- 
sonal ambition.  He  had  an  easy  facility  of  expression  that 
must  have  rendered  him  a  power  for  good  among  the  class 
from  which  he  sprung,  and  he  made  one  of  those  happy  links 
between  the  classes  in  this  country  that  give  promise  of  the 
continuance  of  good  feeling  and  sympathy  among  all  the  ele- 
ments that  make  up  this  great  and  progressive  country.  He 
had  reached  a  goal  for  which  he  had  striven.  He  had  passed 
through  all  the  grades  of  the  civil  service,  acting  in  a  highly 
honored  capacity  in  the  legislature  of  his  State,  his  county, 
and  his  city,  and  had  made  exhibition  of  the  possibilities 
which  the  poorest  may  indulge  in  with  hope  and  ambition  to 
attain.  It  is  such  men  as  these  that  give  hope  and  life  to  the 
disheartened  elements  that  indulge  in  despair  over  the  failure 
of  governments  to  properly  protect  the  interests  of  humble 
citizens  in  their  rights. 


24         Address  of  Mr.  Newberry,  of  Illinois,  on  the 

As  has  been  recited  by  his  colleagues,  Mr.  MCDONALD  was 
born  in  Ireland,  from  among  whose  people  this  Bepublic 
has  received  enough  of  brawn  and  brain  to  have  promised 
like  vigor  and  progress  to  all  the  effete  nations  of  the  earth, 
had  they  displayed  the  wisdom  to  have  accepted  them 
on  an  equality  with  their  own  people.  He  early  sought  our 
public  schools  and  passed  to  the  workshop  and  the  machinist's 
bench,  graduating  thence  into  the  heart  and  confidence  of  a 
great  and  discriminating  constituency,  whose  opportunity  to 
know  and  judge  of  his  attainments,  because  of  daily  personal 
contact  and  association,  were  far  beyond  that  of  the  average 
constituency  whose  representatives  sit  on  this  floor. 

Mr.  MCDONALD'S  life,  service,  and  death  is  not  the  first  and 
will  not  be  the  last,  but  is  another  example  to  American  youth 
of  lowly  origin  and  limited  opportunities,  teaching  and  demon- 
strating the  fact  that  no  accident  of  birth  or  station  is  a  bar  to 
advancement  under  our  laws  and  customs,  but  that  ability, 
with  industry,  honesty,  and  fair  economy,  has  a  clear  road  and 
fairly  contested  race  to  the  highest  goal  ambition  may  locate. 

In  this  instance,  Mr.  Speaker,  this  House  has  lost  what  it 
can  illy  spare — a  member  well  informed  of  the  needs  and 
demands  of  the  people — one  who  could  give  counsel  to  it  when 
lacking  in  knowledge  or  slow  in  execution,  and  who  had  the 
courage  and  ability  to  check  extravagant  demands  and  guide 
them  to  wise  action  and  intelligent  conclusion. 

Mr.  Speaker,  the  Military  Committee  of  the  Fifty-second 
Congress  has  delegated  me  to  make  kindly  mention  of  their 
admiration  of  his  service  and  ability  and  their  deep  sorrow  for 
his  death. 


Life  and  Character  of  Edward  F.  McDonald.          25 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  CUMMINGS,  OF  NEW  YORK. 

Mr.  SPEAKER:  There  is  a  poignant  grief  over  the  death  of  a 
father  or  a  mother,  of  a  sister  or  a  brother;  the  plaintive  wail- 
ing of  a  mother  over  the  loss  of  her  first  born  is  heartrending; 
when  a  near  and  dear  friend  passes  away  the  very  atmosphere 
seems  surcharged  with  gluom ;  but  of  all  the  emotions  awakened 
by  death  none  is  more  touching  than  those  called  up  by  the 
death  of  a  comrade.  They  bring  the  battlefield  again  before 
you.  The  same  sulphurous  canopy  is  above  you.  The  hum  of 
the  bullet,  the  whiz  of  the  round  shot,  the  shriek  of  the  shell, 
tbe  clash  of  sabers,  and  the  shouts  of  the  combatants  again  fill 
your  ears. 

The  tiresome  march,  the  weary  wading  of  streams,  the  ruddy 
camp  fire,  the  bubbling  coffee,  and  the  rude  fare  reappear.  You 
hear  again  old  army  songs  and  stories,  and  are  lulled  to  sleep 
by  the  piping  of  frogs,  the  music  of  crickets  and  katydids,  or 
by  the  soft  patter  of  the  rain  upon  your  shelter  tent.  Again 
.you  are  upon  picket,  musket  in  hand,  watchful  and  wary,  on 
the  muddy  shore  of  the  Rappahaimock  or  beneath  the  sough- 
ing pines  of  the  Wilderness.  When  a  comrade  dies  life  itself 
seems  to  turn  backward.  You  live  once  more  in  the  stormy 
scenes  of  thirty  years  ago. 

Sir,  EDWARD  F.  MCDONALD  was  my  comrade.  We  were 
comrades  in  war  and  comrades  in  politics.  A  descendant  of 
men  who  cried  "Faugh  a  Ballagh"  at  Fontenoy,  no  braver 
soldier  ever  fixed  bayonet.  He  was  a  member  of  a  New  Jersey 
brigade  not  less  renowned  than  the  Irish  brigade  that  drove 
the  English  army  from  the  soil  of  France.  He  was  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac;  he  fought  under  the  eyes  of  George 


26       Address  of  Mr.  Cummings,  of  New  York,  on  the 

B.  McClellan  and  Joe  Hooker;  he  came  from  the  township 
that  gave  gallant  Phil  Kearny  to  the  Union.  There  can  be  no 
greater  honor  for  an  American  citizen. 

My  comrade  entered  the  ranks  when  less  than  17.  His 
muscles  and  his  intellect  were  hardened  by  his  experience  in 
the  army.  Patriotic,  fervent,  brave,  and  energetic,  he  brought 
the  experience  there  acquired  into  after  life.  And  life  with 
him  was  a  continuous  struggle.  He  had  neither  advantages 
of  birth  nor  education.  From  the  army  of  the  Union  he  went 
into  the  greater  and  grander  army  of  A'merican  mechanics. 
Learning  the  trade  of  a  machinist,  he  quickly  became  a  skilled 
mechanic. 

Anon  he  entered  the  field  of  politics.  It  was  hore  that  his 
army  training  came  into  play.  He  heard  again  the  music ^of 
the  fife  and  drum  in  new  campaigns.  There  were  more  weary 
rivers  to  cross  and  more  escarpments  to  carry.  There  were 
more  tiresome  marches,  and  more  batteries  to  silence. 

How  bravely  my  comrade  came  to  the  front  his  record  shows. 
It  is  one  of  unimpeachable  honor.  Schooled  in  the  ranks 
of  the  followers  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  eager,  energetic,  and 
enthusiastic,  he  quickly  won  a  commission  in  ai  new  brigade — 
that  of  the  glorious  old  New  Jersey  Democracy.  In  assault- 
ing the  intrenchinents  of  his  political  opponents  no  one  was 
more  brave  and  untiring;  no  one  sustained  an  assault  in  turn 
more  obstinately.  A  bitter  opponent  of  the  centralizing  tend- 
encies of  the  Republicans,  he  was  an  ardent  State  rights 
Democrat.  A  man  of  strong  convictions,  he  was  unyielding 
when  asked  to  sacrifice  them.  He  preferred  to  stem  the  cur- 
rent rather  than  float  on  it.  He  maintained  his  independence 
despite  all  personal  considerations. 

His  Irish  blood  had  full  play,  although  tempered  at  times 
with  American  prudence.  He  was  a  born  fighter-1— a  faithful 
friend  and  an  unrelenting  foe.  Combative  in  disposition  and 


Life  and  Character  of  Edward  F.  McDonald.          27 

lierce  in  conflict,  he  was  magnanimous  and  kind.  His  heart 
frequently  controlled  his  head. 

There  was,  however,  one  tenderness  in  his  nature  illustra- 
tive of  his  true  manhood.  He  hated  his  foes,  he  loved  his 
friends,  but  he  adored  his  family.  Enmities  and  friendships 
were  neglected  at  their  call.  His  home  was  his  center  of  the 
universe.  There,  in  quiet  happiness,  he  laid  aside  all  cares 
and  tribulations.  Friends  may  regret  him,  comrades  may 
mourn  him,  but  to  his  family  his  loss  is  irreparable.  He  was 
a  model  husband  and  father. 

This  much,  Mr.  Speaker,  have  I  felt  myself  impelled  to  say 
about  my  dead  comrade.  Comrades  were  we  in  the  war  for  the 
Union,  and  comrades  were  we  upon  the  floor  of  this  House 
in  maintaining  the  reestablished  fellowship  of  the  American 
people  as  the  result  of  that  war. 

His  life's  fight  has  ended;  he  has  crossed  his  last  river;  he 
has  heard  his  last  tattoo.  He  did  his  duty  in  this  world  like  a 
true  soldier.  I  believe  that  when  the  last  grand  reveille  is 
sounded  and  the  last  great  roll  is  called  in  the  world  above, 
EDWARD  F.  MCDONALD  will  be  there  and  promptly  answer  to 
his  name. 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  COVERT,  OF  NEW  YORK. 

Mr.  SPEAKER:  I  have  been  impressed,  and  very  deeply 
impressed,  with  the  sincerity  of  expression  which  has  been  so 
marked  a  feature  of  these  memorial  exercises. 

No  merely  pro  forma  utterances  have  come  from  the  floor  of 
this  Chamber  to  day.  The  words  spoken  have  been  in  the 
nature  of  sincere  tribute  to  a  most  sincere  man.  Not  as  mere 
matter  of  form  do  I  desire  to  add  my  own  expression  of  respect 
and  regret  to  what  has  been  so  feelingly  and  so  fittingly 
uttered  by  those  who  have  preceded  me. 


28  Address,  of  Mr,  Covert,  of  New  York,  on  the 

I  knew  EDWARD  F.  MCDONALD  well  and  intimately  living; 
1  mourn  him  most  sincerely  dead.  He  was  a  man  of  singular 
directness  and  distinctive  force.  Not  his  was  the  halting 
policy  of  the  time-server,  not  his  were  the  uncertain  methods 
of  the  mere  doctrinaire.  His  conclusions  were  reached  after 
mature  and  intelligent  deliberation,  and  in  an  eminent  degree 
he  had  the  courage  of  his  convictions.  Despite  opposition  and 
adverse  criticism,  he  dared  to  give  free  expression  to  his  opin- 
ions and  to  adhere  to  them  and  abide  by  them  in  the  face  of 
all  the  world. 

His  colleagues  have  spoken  of  his  earlier  career  and  of  the 
substantial  service  faithfully  rendered  to  the  community  in 
which  he  lived  and  to  the  State  which  he  in  part  repre- 
sented on  this  floor. 

His  record  here  is  known  to  us  all.  Modesty  has  been 
described  as  the  attendant  handmaiden  of  ability.  This  quality 
of  modesty  restrained  our  late  associate  from  public  utterance 
on  this  floor  during  his  short  term  of  service.  He  was  quite 
content  that  those  older  in  position  should  voice  here  the 
policies  he  had  so  patiently  helped  to  frame.  Within  the  limits 
of  his  own  district  and  of  his  own  State,  however,  his  voice  was 
often  and  most  effectively  heard  in  behalf  of  the  principles  in 
•which  he  believed  and  for  the  cause  of  which  he  was  so  sturdy 
a  defender. 

Not  by  the  page,  word-painted, 
Shall  life  be  banned  or  sainted. 

Not  so  much  by  polished  public  utterance  as  by  patient,  con- 
scientious performance  of  duty  shall  we  determine  the  proper 
measure  of  praise  to  be  accorded  to  the  living  or  the  dead.  It 
is  to  the  infinite  credit  of  EDWARD  F.  MCDONALD  that  dur- 
ing the  whole  of  his  active  lifetime,  in  whatever  field  of  effort 
he  was  employed,  every  obligation  was  fully  discharged  and 
every  duty  well  and  faithfully  performed. 


Life  and  Character  of  Edward  F.  McDonald,          29 

Our  late  associate  felt  a  commendable  pride  in  the  fact  that 
he  was  a  graduate  from  the  ranks  of  labor.  The  implements 
of  the  mechanic  were  badges  of  honorable  distinction  to  him 
always.  He  laid  them  aside  only  to  seize  the  musket  when  the 
call  came  to  loyal  men  to  preserve  the  integrity  and  life  of  the 
Republic. 

He  had  been  a  good  workman,  he  was  a  good  and  gallant 
soldier.  On  the  battlefield,  as  in  the  workshop,  his  faithful- 
ness to  duty  Avon  for  him  honorable  advancement.  In  a  coun- 
try like  ours,  under  the  institutions  of  free  America,  a  man 
like  EDWARD  F.  MCDONALD  was  sure  to  forge  to  the  front,  not 
from  any  self-seeking,  but  because  his  fellow-men  made  imper- 
ative insistance  upon  his  promotion. 

In  no  other  country  on  earth,  perhaps,  could  conditions  pre- 
vail such  as  those  presented  here.  In  no  land  save  ours, 
perhaps,  could  this  toiler  in  the  workshop  so  rise  above  the 
conditions  which  surrounded  him  and  so  successfully  escape 
the  environments  that  hedged  him  in.  No  governmental 
institutions  anywhere  give  such  rich  rewards  to  the  subject; 
and  no  subjects  anywhere  make  fuller  or  more  loyal  return. 

Go,  ask  your  despot  whether 

His  armed  bands  could  bring  such  hands 

And  hearts  as  ours  together. 

The  life  of  EDWARD  F.  MCDONALD,  so  sharply  and  so  sud- 
denly ended,  teaches  its  own  lessons. 

It  italicizes  the  fact  that  with  us,  for  the  achievement  of  the 
very  highest  objective  points,  it  is  not  necessary  that  men  shall 
be  born  to  the  purple.  It  emphasizes  again  the  fact  that  a 
sturdy  manhood,  a  simple  honesty,  a  loyal  devotion  to  princi- 
ple are  the  qualities  leading  upward  and  onward  to  honorable 
distinction. 

Mr.  Speaker,  the  House  of  Eepresentatives  of  the  United 
States,  pausing  for  a  space  near  the  closing  days  of  its  pres- 


30       Address  of  Mr.  Buchanan,  of  New  Jersey,  on  the 

ent  session,  honors  itself  in  doing  honor  to  the  memory  of  this 
brave,  sturdy,  and  sincere  man-s-to  the  memory  of  one  who 
was  in  the  best  and  truest  sense  a  representative  man  of  the 
people. 


REMARKS  BY  HON.  JAMES  BUCHANAN,  OF  NEW  JERSEY. 

Mr.  SPEAKER  :  EDWARD  F.  MCDONALD  was  a  man  of  force. 
He  had  a  vigorous  youth  and  a  sturdy  manhood.  An  orphan 
lad,  he  landed  upon  our  shores,  carrying  with  him  nothing  of 
fortune  but  a  pair  of  strong  hands,  a  clear  head,  and  a  deter- 
mined will.  Here  he  found  those  conditions  of  growth,  of 
development,  of  influence  and  power  which  he  so  sadly  missed 
in  the  land  of  his  birth.  .Eight  royally  did  he  improve  those 
enlarged  opportunities.  While  the  boy  wrought  with  his  hands 
for  his  daily  bread  he  improved  each  moment  of  leisure  in 
storing  his  mind  with  useful  knowledge.  However  severe  might 
be  his  daily  task,  he  did  not  relax  the  discipline,  by  study  and 
reflection,  of  his  mental  powers. 

As  he  grew  in  physical  stature  and  strength  his  mind  en- 
larged and  its  faculties  were  trained  and  strengthened.  He 
had  hardly  reached  the  strength  and  stature  of  an  early  man- 
hood when  the  storm  of  civil  war  burst  over  the  land.  The 
call  to  arms  came  to  him  as  a  call  to  duty.  In  his  early  home 
he  had  learned  to  love  liberty  and  to  hate  slavery.  To  him 
the  Stars  and  Stripes  symbolized  a  higher  and  a  better  form  of 
civilization  and  of  government,  and  he  entered  the  army  of  the 
Union.  The  regiment  he  enlisted  in  had  the  fortune  to  be  a 
component  part  of  a  brigade  known  widely  as  the  "Fighting 
Brigade."  Well  did  it  earn  its  title,  and  among  those  whose 
bravery  and  courage  gave  it  distinction  none  were  braver  or 
truer  than  Edward  F.  McDonald. 


Life  and  Character  of  Edward  F.  McDonald.         31 

The  war  over  and  the  grand  old  flag  again  triumphant,  he 
turned  to  the  less  exciting  but  none  the  less  honorable  walks  of 
peace.  He  was  poor,  and  with  his  hands  toiled  as  a  mechanic 
for  bread  for  himself  and  his  family.  The  same  force  of  charac- 
ter and  determination  of  will  pressed  him  to  the  front  among 
his  fellows.  First  they  sent  him  to  a  seat  in  the  lower  house 
of  the  State  legislature,  then  came  other  honors,  and  then  his 
election  as  a  representative  from  his  district  in  the  National 
Congress.  Hardly  had  he  entered  upon  his  enlarged  sphere 
of  his  activity  and  usefulness  when,  after  but  a  few  days'  ill- 
ness, that  magnificent  physical  strength  became  weakness, 
and  life  went  out  in  death.  A  cold,  caught  in  active  campaign 
work,  developed  with  unusual  rapidity  into  pneumonia  and 
but  a  day  or  two  before  his  name  was  again  to  be  voted  upon 
for  a  reelection  to  his  high  trust  he  was  borne  by  .saddened 
friends  to  his  last  resting  place. 

As  I  have  said,  he  was  a  man  of  force  and  power.  You 
could  not  be  in  his  presence  without  instinctively  feeling  this. 
As  these  proceedings  go  on  my  eyes  light  upon  an  item  in 
one  of  his  county  papers  which  speaks  of  the  courage  and 
determination  with  which  he  faced  an  angry,  tumultuous 
throng  and  quelled  the  riot. 

I  remember  another  incident.  A  State  convention  was 
being  held.  The  spirit  of  faction  was  running  high,  and 
intense  and  bitter  feeling  pervaded  the  body.  The  chair- 
man was  weak  and  lost  control.  Mr.  McDonald  was  urged 
to  the  front.  He  stepped  forward,  grasped  the  gavel,  and 
at  once  the  convention  felt  it  had  a  master.  With  rapidity 
and  precision  the  motions  were  put,  the  business  carried 
through,  the  ticket  selected,  and  almost  ere  it  was  aware 
the  convention  had  finished  its  business,  was  adjourned,  and 
was  pressing  toward  the  trains. 

He  was  trusted  by  his  friends.    They  knew  him  to  be  true 


32  Address  of  Mr.  Buchanan,  of  New  Jersey. 

to  them,  and  they  stood  by  him.  No  man  could  accuse  him  of 
forgetting  past  kindnesses.  No  one  entertained,  for  a  moment, 
a  doubt  of  his  faithfulness.  His  loyalty  was  not  momentary 
but  was  enduring.  This  subjected  him  at  times  to  difficulty, 
but  it  always  led  to  ultimate  success.  The  people  like  a  man 
whom  they  can  depend  upon.  Such  a  man  was  he. 

He  bated  shams  and  hypocrisy.  He  spoke  out  his  thought, 
not  always  perhaps,  prudently,  but  always  fearlessly  and  sin- 
cerely. He  did  not  know  how  to  dissemble.  For  him  to 
believe  a  thing  was  to  proclaim  it.  A  conviction  to  him  was 
a  solid  and  enduring  truth,  to  be  proclaimed  and  taught.  It 
was  not  my  fortune  to  agree  always  with  his  convictions,  but 
it  was  my  privilege  always  to  admire  his  sincerity. 

He  bid  fair  to  reach  a  large  measure  of  usefulness,  but  at 
the  threshold  of  his  enlarged  opportunities  he  was  cut  down. 
The  ways  of  Providence  are  not  our  ways,  and  the  wisdom  of 
events  often  remains  hidden  from  mortal  view.  We  can  not 
fathom  the  purposes  of  the  Infinite  One.  We  can  only  surren- 
der our  feeble  comprehension  to  a  fulness  of  faith  in  the  dec- 
laration that  "  He  doeth  all  things  well,"  and  in  that  faith 
place  these  memorials  of  our  love  for  our  fallen  comrade  and 
our  esteem  for  his  many  virtues  upon  the  records  of  our 
country's  representative  body. 

The  SPEAKER  pro  tempore  (Mr.  Crosby).  The  question  is  on 
the  resolutions  submitted  by  the  gentleman  from  New  Jersey 
[Mr.  Geissenhainer]. 

The  resolutions  were  agreed  to;  and  under  the  operation 
thereof  (at  4  o'clock  and  6  minutes  p.  m.)  the  House  adjourned 
until  Monday,  February  13, 1893,  at  11  o'clock  a.  m. 


PROCEEDINGS  IN  THE  SENATE. 


ANNOUNCEMENT  OF  DEATH. 


DECEMBER  7,  1892. 

Mr.  McPHERSON.  Mr.  President,  I  offer  the  resolutions 
which  I  send  to  the  desk. 

The  VICE-PRESIDENT.  The  resolutions  will  be  read. 
The  Chief  Clerk  read  the  resolutions,  as  follows : 

Resolved,  That  the  Senate  has  heard  with  deep  sensibility  the  announce- 
ment of  the  death  of  Hon.  EDWARD  F.  MCDONALD,  late  a  Representative 
from  the  State  of  New  Jersey. 

Rewired,  That  the  Secretary  communicate  this  resolution  to  the  House 
of  Representatives. 

Resolved,  That  as  a  mark  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  the  deceased  the 
Senate  do  now  adjourn. 

Mr.  MCPHERSON.  Mr.  President,  a  single  word.  It  has  been 
a  practice  which  has  recently  grown  up  in  the  Senate  that  such 
resolutions  should  take  this  course.  At  some  future  time 
another  series  of  resolutions  will  probably  reach  us,  when  I 
shall  endeavor  to  pay  fitting  tribute  to  the  memory  of  my 
deceased  colleague  in  the  other  House. 

The  ViCE-1 'RESIDENT.  The  question  is  on  agreeing  to  the 
resolutions  submitted  by  the  Senator  from  New  Jersey. 

The  resolutions  were  agreed  to  unanimously;  and  (at  1 
o'clock  and  10  minutes  p.  m.)  the  Senate  adjourned  until  to- 
morrow, Thursday,  December  8,  1892,  at  12  o'clock,  meridian. 

33 
H.  Mis.  101 3 


EULOGIES. 


FEBRUARY  15, 1893. 

Mr.  McPHERSON.  Mr.  President,  with  the  permission  of  the 
Senator  from  Iowa  [Mr.  Allison]  who  has  charge  of  the  sundry 
civil  appropriation  bill  now  pending,  I  desire  to  invite  the 
attention  of  the  Senate  to  the  consideration  of  resolutions  from 
the  House  of  Representatives  in  respect  to  the  death  of  my 
late  colleague,  Hon.  EDWARD  F.  MCDONALD,  which  I  ask  to 
lay  before  the  Senate. 

The  VICE-PRESIDENT.    The  resolutions  will  be  read. 

The  Secretary  read  as  follows : 

Resolved,  That  the  business  of  the  House  be  now  suspended  that  oppor- 
tunity be  given  for  tributes  to  the  memory  of  the  Hon.  EDWAKD  F.  MC- 
DONALD, late  a  Representative  from  the  State  of  New  Jersey. 

Resolved,  That  as  a  further  mark  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  the  de- 
ceased, and  in  recognition  of  his  eminent  public  and  private  virtues, 
the  House,  at  the  conclusion  of  these  memorial  proceedings,  shall  stand 
adjourned. 

Resolved,  That  the  Clerk  communicate  these  resolutions  to  the  Senate. 

Mr.  McPHERSON.     I  send  to  the.  desk  resolutions  which  I 
desire  to  have  read  and  considered. 
The  VICE-PRESIDENT.    The  resolutions  will  be  read. 
The  Secretary  read  as  follows : 

Resolved,  That  the  Senate  has  heard  with  profound  sorrow  the  announce 
ment  of  the  death  of  Hon.  EDWARD  F.  MCDONALD,  late  a  Representative 
from  the  State  of  New  Jersey. 

Resolved,  That  the  business  of  the  Senate  be  now  suspended  in  order  that 
fitting  tributes  may  be  paid  to  his  memory. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  transmitted  by  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Senate  to  the  family  of  the  deceased. 

Resolved,  That  at  the  conclusion  of  these  ceremonies  the  Senate  stand 
adjourned. 

34 


Life  and  Character  of  Edward  F.  McDonald.         35 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  MCPHERSON,  OF  NEW  JERSEY. 

Mr.  PRESIDENT  :  So  frequently  has  the  messenger  of  death 
invaded  this  and  the  other  Chamber  during  the  present  Con- 
gress that  we  are  deeply  impressed  with  the  thought  that  the 
paths  of  glory  lead  but  to  the  grave.  Again  are  we  asked 
to  pause  in  our  legislative  proceedings  and  pay  a  proper  tribute 
of  respect  to  the  memory  of  a  deceased  brother. 

Soon  after  the  convening  of  Congress  in  December  last  I 
acquainted  the  Senate  with  the  death  of  EDWARD  FRANCIS 
MCDONALD,  Representative  from  the  Seventh  Congressional 
district  of  New  Jersey,  who  died  on  November  5,  1892,  at  his 
home  in  Harrison,  N.  J.,  in  the  forty-ninth  year  of  his  age. 
Mr.  MCDONALD  was  born  in  Ireland,  September  21,  1844,  and 
while  still  young  came  to  the  United  States  with  his  parents 
and  settled  in  Ne\v  Jersey.  On  arriving  at  the  proper  age  he 
received  the  common-school  education  of  that  time,  and  while 
yet  under  16  years  of  age  was  apprenticed  to  a  machinist, 
having  developed  great  adaptability  for  mechanics. 

On  the  termination  of  his  apprenticeship,  he  set  up  in  the 
same  business  for  himself,  following  it  with  various  interrup- 
tions till  1875.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  civil  war  in  1861,  Mr. 
MCDONALD,  though  barely  17  years  of  age,  joined  the  Seventh 
Regiment  of  New  Jersey  Volunteers,  and  was  amongst  the  first 
to  go  to  the  front  from  that  State.  He  served  with  credit 
under  McClellau  and  Hooker  in  all  the  battles  of  the  Peninsula 
and  elsewhere,  until  disabled  by  a  serious  illness,  and  was 
honorably  discharged. 

After  a  long  time  spent  in  restoring  his  shattered  constitu- 
tion in  the  hospital  and  at  his  own  home,  he  finally  recovered 
and  resumed  his  business  pursuits.  While  he  was  interested 


36      Address  of  Mr,  McPherson,  of  New  Jersey,  on  the 

in  the  local  politics  of  his  country  from  the  time  he  became  a 
citizen,  Mr.  MCDONALD'S  political  career  may  be  truly  said  to 
have  begun  in  1874,  when  the  electors  of  his  district  sent  him 
to  the  State  legislature  as  an  assemblyman,  in  which  capacity 
he  served  with  much  credit  one  term. 

In  1877  he  was  selected  as  director  at  large  of  the  board  of 
chosen  freeholders  of  his  county,  and  served  four  years,  being 
reelected  in  1879.  During  this  time  Mr.  McDotfALD  was  also 
chosen  by  his  fellow-townsmen  for  the  position  of  toAvn  treas- 
urer, which  place  he  filled  so  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
people  that  he  was  elected  to  that  office  again  and  again,  until, 
after  ten  years  of  continuous  service  therein,  he  declined 
further  reelection. 

When  the  Presidential  campaign  of  1884  came  on,  the  Dem- 
ocratic party  (to  which  party  he  had  always  theretofore  given 
his  allegiance  and  support)  called  upon  him  to  serve  as  one  of 
their  Presidential  electors,  a  position  rarely  given  to  so  young 
a  man.  To  the  surprise  and  regret  of  his  party  associates  he 
promptly  declined  to  serve  in  the  position  to  which  he  had  • 
been  nominated,  believing  as  he  did  that  the  true  interests  of 
his  State  and  the  nation  would  be  best  conserved  by  the  elec- 
tion of  the  late  Benjamin  F.  Butler  to  the  Presidency. 

Independence  in  thought  and  action  in  respect  of  all  matters, 
social  or  political,  was  one  of  his  most  prominent  character- 
istics, and  he  followed  the  dictates  of  his  own  reason  and 
judgment  without  any  apparent  thought  of  what  the  effect 
might  be  upon  his  chances  for  political  preferment,  lleuiaiuii i g 
in  private  life  for  several  years,  he  again  presented  himself 
in  1889  as  a  candidate  for  public  office,  that  of  State  senator, 
and  was  returned  as  elected 5  but  on  the  convening  of  the- 
legislature  his  election  was  contested,  and  for  partisan  reasons 
and  purposes  Mr.  MCDONALD  was  unseated.  However,  at 
the  meeting  of  the  succeeding  legislature  this  injustice  was 


Life  and  Character  of  Edward  F.  McDonald.          37 

corrected,  his  seat  was  restored  to  him,  and  he  retained  it  un: 
til  he  resigned  to  take  his  seat  in  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives, to  which  he  had  in  the  mean  time  been  elected.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  Fifty-second  Congress,  and  while  still  a  mem- 
ber of  that  body  and  also  a  candidate  for  reelection  to  the 
same,  his  death  occurred.  He  has  departed.  His  term  had 
not  expired,  but  his  name  no  longer  is  heard  in  the  roll  call  of 
the  House. 

The  State  he  loved  and  served  with  signal  devotion  has  sent 
here  no  successor  to  occupy  the  seat  he  so  worthily  filled. 
Such,  in  brief,  was  Mr.  MCDONALD'S  political  career.  Start- 
ing with  a  township  office,  he  rose  step  by  step  to  that  of 
Congressman.  An  alien,  and  not  favored  by  fortune,  he  con- 
quered the  accidents  of  birth,  and,  scaling  every  barrier,  rose 
by  successive  steps  to  the  highest  station  within  the  gift  of  the 
people  of  his  district.  The  confidence  and  trust  reposed  in 
him  by  his  constituents  is  best  shown  by  the  way  in  which 
they  supported  his  candidacy  to  any  office  to  which  he 
aspired. 

Frank,  open-hearted,  and  generous  to  a  fault,  a  friend  as 
much  in  adversity  as  in  prosperity,  he  possessed  all  the  noble 
and  sturdy  qualities  peculiar  to  the  race  from  which  he  was 
descended,  combined  with  a  rare  business  ability  drawn  from 
his  American  education  and  surroundings.  While  a  Roman 
Catholic  in  his  religious  belief,  Mr.  McDoNALU  was  mo.st  lib- 
eral in  his  contributions  to  all  charitable  objects,  irrespective 
of  any  church;  besides,  in  an  unostentatious  way,  being  the 
cause  of  happiness  to  many  poor  families. 

Possessed  of  magnificent  health  and  robust  in  build,  he 
could  stand  work  that  would  have  been  death  to  a  less  power- 
ful man.  Most  particularly  was  this  apparent  in  his  political 
labors.  The  first  gun  fired  in  the  campaign  found  him  at  his 
post;  and  whether  working  for  his  own  political  advance- 


38        Address  of  Mr.  Blodgett,  of  New  Jersey,  on  the 

ment  or  the  general  party  success,  he  was  untiring  in  his 
efforts  until  the  end  of  the  campaign  was  reached. 

In  the  late  election  he  was  a  candidate  for  reelection  to  the 
House  of  Representatives,  but  pneumonia  carried  him  off 
almost  at  the  very  moment  when  success  was  about  to  crown 
his  efforts,  leaving  a  widow  and  several  children  to  mourn  the 
loss  of  a  kind  and  loving  husband  and  father,  and  regretted 
by  a  large  circle  of  friends. 

New  Jersey  greatly  mourns  the  loss  of  her  able  and  faithful 
servant  in  the  wider  field  of  duty  to  which  he  had  been  so 
recently  called ;  and  the  Congress  of  the  nation  will  have  reason 
to  feel  and  mourn  the  loss  of  one  of  its  valued  members  who 
loved  his  country  with  an  ardent  devotion,  and  who  sacrificed 
his  life  in  the  endeavor  to  promote  the  success  of  those  prin- 
ciples which  in  his  inmost  heart  and  mind  (and  with  all  his 
strength)  he  conceived  to  be  her  true  and  best  interests. 


ADDRESS  OF  MR.  BLODGETT,  OF  NEW  JERSEY. 

Mr.  PRESIDENT  :  After  a  brief  illness  EDWARD  F.  MCDON- 
ALD, a  Eepreseutative  from  the  Seventh  Congressional  district 
of  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  died  at  his  home  in  Harrison,  N.  J., 
on  the  5th  of  November,  1892.  In  the  prime  of  life,  just  when 
his  sterling  qualities  were  making  him  conspicuous  among  his 
fellow-men,  "  God's  finger  touched  him  and  he  slept." 

Mr.  MCDONALD  was  born  in  Ireland  and  came  to  this  coun- 
try when  quite  young.  After  finishing  his  studies  in  the  public 
schools  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  machinist,  and  followed  that 
business  until  1875.  I  first  became  acquainted  with  him  about 
1876,  when  he  was  following  his  daily  avocation  as  a  mechanic. 

At  that  time  the  characteristics  which  were  more  promi- 
nently displayed  in  after  life  were  visible  in  young  MCDONALD. 


Life  and  Character  of  Edward  F.  McDonald.          39 

He  was  a  straightforward,  honest,  upright  man.  The  people  of 
his  city,  recognizing  the  worth  of  the  young  man,  elected  him 
as  a  member  of  the  State  legislature.  He  made  a  record  in 
the  general  assembly  as  a  careful,  conservative,  and  able  legis- 
lator, and  it  was  in  this  position  that  he  became  so  well  and 
favorably  known  throughout  his  district.  On  his  retirement 
from  the  legislature  he  was  called  upon  to  perform  more 
important  duties — duties  that  more  particularly  concerned 
the  interests  of  his  own  city. 

It  was  at  a  time  when  marked  extravagance  and  a  reckless 
expenditure  of  public  moneys  characterized  the  government  of 
Hudson  County,  and  the  people  of  that  county  turned  to  Mr. 
MoDONALD  to  save  them  from  the  corrupt  administration  of 
the  county  authorities  and  elected  him  director  at  large  of  the 
board  of  chosen  freeholders  of  that  county  under  a  special  law 
wThich  invested  the  director  with  a  veto  power  absolute  in  all 
matters  pertaining  to  appropriations  made  by  that  board.  So 
faithfully  and  well  did  he  perform  the  duties  of  that  office  that 
he  was  reflected  from  year  to  year  until  there  no  longer 
existed  the  necessity  for  the  exercise  of  so  great  a  power. 
He  was  elected  in  1889  a  member  of  the  State  senate  from  the 
county  of  Hudson.  At  that  election  the  grossest  frauds  upon 
the  elective  franchise  were  perpetrated  by  men  high  in  official 
station. 

During  the  investigation  that  followed  Mr.  MCDONALD  bore 
himself  with  conspicuous  fairness  and  frankness.  No  taint  of 
suspicion  attached  to  his  name.  Indeed,  the  result  of  the 
investigation  so  endeared  him  to  the  people  of  his  county  that 
he  was  nominated  and  triumphantly  elected  a  member  of  the 
national  House  of  Representatives,  while  his  term  of  three 
years  in  the  State  senate  was  but  half  completed.  The  same 
industry  and  ability  were  displayed  in  the  short  time  he  rep- 
resented his  people  in  Congress,  and  he  was  just  entering  upon 


40  Address  of  Mr.  Blodgett,  of  New  Jersey, 

a  more  brilliant  career  when  lie  was  called  upon  to  pay  the 
debt  of  nature. 

In  the  death  of  Mr.  MCDONALD  his  family  lost  a  devoted  hus- 
band and  a  loving  father,  whose  presence  made  home  supremely 
happy;  his  neighbors  a  kind  and  courteous  friend,  whose  warm 
heart  and  cordial  hand  always  gave  them  sincere  welcome;  his 
district  and  State  an  able  and  industrious  Representative,  who 
was  true  to  every  trust. 

He  has  gone  from  the  cares  and  trials  of  this  life  to  the  crown- 
ing glories  of  eternity,  but  his  memory  will  long  live  in  the 
hearts  of  the  people  he  represented  so  faithfully  and  well. 

Mr.  President,  I  move  the  adoption  of  the  resolutions  sub- 
mitted by  my  colleague. 

The  resolutions  were  agreed  to  unanimously ;  and  (at  5  o'clock 
p.  m.)  the  Senate  adjourned  until  to-morrow,  Thursday,  Feb- 
ruary 1(>,  1893,  at  11  o'clock  a.  m. 


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